Weird Al Yankovic

Yeah, I probably fed into that expectation more in the 80s because I thought I've got to live up to the name, you know, and I probably put on a bit more of a show or was a little bit more smart alecky than than, you know, that I normally am. But I've kind of calmed down. And now I think people realize that I'm not bouncing off the walls all the time. I'm just kind of like a regular guy.

Yeah, I probably fed into that expectation more in the 80s because I thought I've got to live up to the name, you know, and I probably put on a bit more of a show or was a little bit more smart alecky than than, you know, that I normally am. But I've kind of calmed down. And now I think people realize that I'm not bouncing off the walls all the time. I'm just kind of like a regular guy.

Yeah, I mean, as a teenager, once I realized that I was a social outcast, it was sort of like I had nothing to lose. Like, I didn't care, like, oh, I'm going to look silly doing this. Like, oh, people think I'm an idiot anyway. Like, what's it going to hurt? So it sort of gave me freedom. It gave me a license to let my freak flag fly a bit.

Yeah, I mean, as a teenager, once I realized that I was a social outcast, it was sort of like I had nothing to lose. Like, I didn't care, like, oh, I'm going to look silly doing this. Like, oh, people think I'm an idiot anyway. Like, what's it going to hurt? So it sort of gave me freedom. It gave me a license to let my freak flag fly a bit.

Yeah, I mean, as a teenager, once I realized that I was a social outcast, it was sort of like I had nothing to lose. Like, I didn't care, like, oh, I'm going to look silly doing this. Like, oh, people think I'm an idiot anyway. Like, what's it going to hurt? So it sort of gave me freedom. It gave me a license to let my freak flag fly a bit.

So I didn't have any qualms about being weird or caring really what people thought of me because, you know, it didn't matter at that point. And college was a bit of a restart because people in college didn't know who I was. And I thought, oh, I can maybe redefine myself. In fact, I think that's when I started going by Al because all through high school I was Alfred Yankovic, my full name.

So I didn't have any qualms about being weird or caring really what people thought of me because, you know, it didn't matter at that point. And college was a bit of a restart because people in college didn't know who I was. And I thought, oh, I can maybe redefine myself. In fact, I think that's when I started going by Al because all through high school I was Alfred Yankovic, my full name.

So I didn't have any qualms about being weird or caring really what people thought of me because, you know, it didn't matter at that point. And college was a bit of a restart because people in college didn't know who I was. And I thought, oh, I can maybe redefine myself. In fact, I think that's when I started going by Al because all through high school I was Alfred Yankovic, my full name.

And I thought, oh, Alfred sounds like, you know, like Alfred E. Newman. It sounds like the butler on Batman. It sounds like, you know, Poindexter. It sounded geeky. I thought, Al. Al sounds cool. That's a good, masculine, firm name. I'll be Al.

And I thought, oh, Alfred sounds like, you know, like Alfred E. Newman. It sounds like the butler on Batman. It sounds like, you know, Poindexter. It sounded geeky. I thought, Al. Al sounds cool. That's a good, masculine, firm name. I'll be Al.

And I thought, oh, Alfred sounds like, you know, like Alfred E. Newman. It sounds like the butler on Batman. It sounds like, you know, Poindexter. It sounded geeky. I thought, Al. Al sounds cool. That's a good, masculine, firm name. I'll be Al.

Yeah, and then within a year, I was Weird Al.

Yeah, and then within a year, I was Weird Al.

Yeah, and then within a year, I was Weird Al.

Well, when my manager first told me that over the phone, I thought he was joking. Because in the early 80s, we had tour T-shirts with fake, bogus dates on the back. And like, oh, I'll be doing a residency at Madison Square Garden. It was one of those things we joked about. And now it's actually happening for real. So it's a bit mind-blowing. It's...

Well, when my manager first told me that over the phone, I thought he was joking. Because in the early 80s, we had tour T-shirts with fake, bogus dates on the back. And like, oh, I'll be doing a residency at Madison Square Garden. It was one of those things we joked about. And now it's actually happening for real. So it's a bit mind-blowing. It's...

Well, when my manager first told me that over the phone, I thought he was joking. Because in the early 80s, we had tour T-shirts with fake, bogus dates on the back. And like, oh, I'll be doing a residency at Madison Square Garden. It was one of those things we joked about. And now it's actually happening for real. So it's a bit mind-blowing. It's...

Hopefully I won't be in the fetal position on the floor, but I did have a small bit of anxiety the second he told me, like, oh, that's a big show. I've got to go do this now.

Hopefully I won't be in the fetal position on the floor, but I did have a small bit of anxiety the second he told me, like, oh, that's a big show. I've got to go do this now.

Hopefully I won't be in the fetal position on the floor, but I did have a small bit of anxiety the second he told me, like, oh, that's a big show. I've got to go do this now.